Education & Classes in Goldenrod

After years of developing their own drink-slinging skills as professional bartenders and club owners, 123 Bartending's founders, led by Bryan Caracioli, decided to pass on their knowledge through intensive bartending courses and a proprietary student handbook. The school stands adjacent to a fully functional brewpub, where professional barkeeps coach students to juggle their tools, glassware, and requests for Billy Joel songs behind a granite bar, lowly lit from miniature chandeliers and surrounded by rustic, red-toned interiors. Curriculum involves both hands-on practice and theory, spanning the history behind drinks' monikers, as well as the chemistry of traditional cocktails and modern party shots. 50-inch flat-screen TVs and a 100-inch projector dominate walls with video demonstrations and scotch distillers' home movies. A roster of bars, lounges, and clubs—all owned by or partnered with 123 Bartending's adept captains—provide job placement for the school's alumni.

When Gerald Bennett began work as head chef at the InterContinental Hotel in Cleveland, he was accustomed to whipping up dishes for celebrity clientele. But when the royal family of Dubai came to visit and he served them in their opulent suite, he never thought they'd ask him to leave with them as their personal chef. Since returning to the states and stepping into his role as the president of the Private Chef Association, Gerald has worked to bring his gastronomic prowess to the masses through Food Fun Adventure’s classes and tours. He passes along a visible passion for culinary fusion, which shines through in dishes blending French and Thai or American and German influences.

Culinary tours take participants to local sushi houses, steak houses, and bistros, each highlighting specialty dishes. When head chefs come out to greet their visitors, they often divulge culinary secrets and answer questions about curfew hours for free-range ingredients while doling out tapas and other small plates.

In a more hands-on culinary experience, customers gather in classes and learn to refine dishes based on a chosen theme. Using mostly local and organic ingredients in two kitchen classrooms, chefs show students how to craft delicacies such as scallion waffles with orange-zest chicken and tagine-roasted rack of lamb. In one kitchen, which doubles as an art gallery, knives flick through ingredients, and pots clatter at island stations and small burners. The company’s event center, Heaven, fills with chatter as up to 40 pairs of students filter in. Beneath projectors for screening chef demonstrations and documentaries about the life of a paring knife, separate kitchens equipped with ovens and burners fill with the bustle of creation, which gives way to reverent exhalations as patrons finally sample the fruits of their labor.

Stella Tagliavore founded Art Studio of Lake Mary as a place where young students could gain confidence and independence by tapping into their own creativity. Harnessing her 20 years of experience as an educator, Stella wields a hands-on approach with each of her pupils, helping them to develop pertinent artistic and problem-solving skills. Stella's students revel in a variety of programs, ranging from weekly art classes to summer art camps. Birthday parties in the 2,000-square-foot space allow kids to create ceramic magna opera, invent heroic characters in comic strips, or design a new wardrobe for their pet goldfish in sewing sessions.

A youngster furrows his brow, concentrating on each brush stroke as he paints a piggy bank. Good friends fuse glass pieces into a serving bowl for a soon-to-be-wed pal or string disparate beads together to create an eclectic necklace. At ClayZ Arts, guests are free to pursue their artistic ambitions as they paint bisque pieces, design jewelry, or replace all their car windows with elaborate glass creations. From classes to birthday parties and corporate shindigs, the studio and its accommodating staff host myriad events that cater to each person's inner artist.

Nook and Cranny Ceramics fills its studio with a variety of blank sculptures and figurines. These are like blank checks for visiting artists, who can fill out their values by decorating them in creative layers of paint. Pots take on prismatic designs, building replicas get fresh coats, and giraffe statuettes come to life, demanding feedings of glazed clay leaves. The shop also offers Saturday classes for kids.